In the Last Decade, New York City Has Created Dozens of New Food
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COVER 1 CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy An Overview of Food Policy in New York n the last decade, New York City has created dozens of new food Executive I policies and programs to improve nutritional well-being, promote Summary food security, create food systems that support community and The CUNY economic development and achieve other important goals. These Urban Food initiatives build on the city’s prior efforts to create healthier food en- Policy vironments and use existing and new governance mechanisms to con- Institute sider, enact and implement changes in how New York City produces, Guide to Food distributes and consumes the food that sustains its residents. Governance in New York Suggested Citation The CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute, a research action center at City Willingham C, Rafalow A, Lindstrom L, Freudenberg N. The the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, seeks to advance food equity in New York City and other urban areas by CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute Guide to Food Governance in contributing evidence that can guide fair and effective policies. In this New York City. CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and two-part report, the Institute analyzes changes in food policy in New Health Policy, 2017. York City since 2008. Our goal is to assist policy makers, advocates, health and food professionals, community groups and city residents to understand what has been accomplished in food policy over the last Acknowledgements decade so that we can chart goals and strategies for the next decade. We thank the New York Community Trust and its Wilhelm Part 1, this report, the CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute Guide to Food Governance in New York City provides an overview of how food policy Lowenstein Memorial Fund and Food Samaritan Fund for the gets made in New York. Part 2, to be released later in 2017, assesses the support of this project. We also thank Nevin Cohen, Molly Hart- changes in food policy in the last decade and identifies some lessons man, Kim Kessler, Cathy Nonas, Jan Poppendieck, Charmaine for planning food policy in the coming decade. Ruddock, Ben Thomases, and Barbara Turk for their helpful suggestions on an earlier draft. We also thank Alyssa Surina for In this guide, “government” describes a body that makes and im- her help in preparing this report. The opinions expressed here plements binding decisions for which it has legal authority for the and the accuracy are the responsibility of the authors and not residents and businesses in a defined geographic area. “Governance”, our advisers or CUNY. on the other hand, is a broader term that includes the roles that civil society, businesses, communities and residents play in shaping govern- ment responses to public problems. Food policy describe the laws and regulations that govern the produc- tion, distribution, and consumption of food. It includes legislation, executive orders, rule changes, demonstration projects, program expansion or elimination, capital investments and budget allocations, grant programs, reporting requirements, certifications and enforce- ment, programs, and government agency rules and regulations. Since our food system is also influenced by policies in other sectors such as environmental protection, land use, labor rights, health care and housing, food policy advocates also need to understand the rules that shape policy-making across sectors. 2 CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy An Overview of Food Policy in New York For food policy to contribute to improvements in health and other public goals, different sectors and levels of government and outside groups need to work together to define goals, then develop and imple- reating healthier, more equitable food environments for all New Food ment strategies to achieve these aims. This Guide provides a roadmap Yorkers requires policy makers and advocates to master two Governance for this journey. C bodies of knowledge. First, we need to understand how food systems in New York City It describes the role in food policy of each branch of government—ex- work to shape who gets what to eat. Second, and equally important, ecutive, legislative and judicial—at the city and state levels. Examples we need to comprehend the elaborate dance of politics and gover- of specific food policies enacted over the last decade are used to illus- nance. Who has what power to change what food policies? How do trate how these different public entities have used their authority to the different branches and levels of government work together—or create the current food policy landscape. It also briefly examines some against each other—to decide how food is regulated, what is served of the ways that federal government food policies affect New York in school cafeterias, how much food workers get paid, or what incen- City’s food environment. tives encourage food stores to sell healthy or regionally grown food? Since many actors outside government participate in food governance, the Guide also examines the role of community-based and municipal Changes in food policy in New York City in the last decade have nonprofit organizations, food businesses and their trade associations, been driven by three powerful motors. The first, city government, universities and labor unions and worker organizations in the food including the mayor and his executive agencies, City Council, sector, in shaping food policies. borough presidents, and others, has developed and launched new policies and programs in health, food retail, institutional food, food Finally, the Guide explains the different strategies and vehicles usedt o benefits, and other domains. Their actions are in turn influenced shape food policy by those inside government, including legislation, by state and federal food policies. The second motor, community executive orders, budgets and demonstration projects. It also describes food organizations, food and the strategies used by those working outside government, including anti-hunger activists, food participatory budgeting, litigation, legislative advocacy, citywide and workers groups, and the food community-based mobilization campaigns, and electoral forums and justice movement, has mobi- eval-uates the efficacy and limitations of each. lized communities, pressured The CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute Guide to Food Governance in New policy makers, educated York City hopes to assist readers to comprehend the elaborate dance of neighbors and created alter- politics and governance as it plays out in New York City. By deepen- native programs to fix food ing New Yorkers’ understanding of who has what power to change problems they have identi- food policies and how the different branches and levels of government fied. Each of these players is work together—or against each other—to create New York City’s food essential; neither on its own policy landscape, we hope the Guide will help readers create food can bring about the trans- policies that will make New York City a showcase for fair, effective formation New York City’s food system needs. The third —mostly Grocery store and equitable food policies. invisible but occasionally wielding its extensive power—is the food worker stocking industry, from small businesses to giant multinational food corpo- eggs. Read the Full Report. • rations and their trade associations. How can those who want to Photo by change food policy find their way through the complex and obscure Alex Barth pathways that lead to meaningful reform? 3 4 CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy An Overview of Food Policy in New York This guide provides readers with some of the information they City Level Roles in Food Policy need to answer these questions. Our goal is to help the many Executive Branch constituencies who shape food policy—voters, activists, health professionals, labor unions, policy makers, food businesses, com- Mayor’s Office munity leaders and policy makers—to develop a deeper under- standing of some of the ways that city, state and federal govern- The mayor is the chief executive of New York City and leads the ments shape food policy as it plays out in New York City and executive branch of the city’s government. This office oversees the State. Our aim is to assist New Yorkers to identify opportunities municipal budget and administers services, and public agencies. The and strategies for creating more effective, equitable food poli- mayor controls the city’s policy agenda and is required to report on cies. Readers who want additional information on the history, various progress indicators to City Council, borough presidents, and structure and politics of food policy in New York are encouraged community boards. The decision of current New York City Mayor Bill to consult the resource list at the end of this guide. • de Blasio (D; who took office in 2014) to make food waste reduction a priority illustrates how a mayor can use his power to change food policy. As part of a broader commitment to achieve Zero Waste by 2030, a major goal of OneNYC: The Plan for a Strong and Just City1, the Mayor’s Office proposed several rule changes that would require large-scale food establishments, vendors, manufacturers, and wholesalers to participate in organics recycling. The goal is to divert 50,000 tons of food waste per year.2 In making waste reduction part of the OneNYC agenda, Mayor de Blasio called attention to the issue and strengthened and added enforce- ment actions to the legislative actions of the City Council, ultimate- ly accelerating progress toward adoption of a citywide organic waste recovery policy. Prior to the 2015 release of OneNYC, the City Council and former Mayor Bloomberg acted to bring about changes to the way that city government manages food waste, including a residential compost pilot program, a school New York City Hall compost pilot program, and requirements for commercial businesses to Photo by Momos separate and cart their organics.